Latest news with #OklahomaCityUniversity
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
NBA fans savage Broadway icon's national anthem before finals Game 7 between Thunder and Pacers
Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth was slammed by NBA fans for her performance of the national anthem before Game 7 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. Chenoweth, an Oklahoma native and passionate Thunder fan, took center stage live on ABC in the moments before tip off at the first Game 7 in the finals for nine years. But her rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner', in which she delivered one particularly long high note, did not go down well. It was described by one ABC viewer on social media as 'the worst national anthem I ever heard'. Another viewer posted: 'Geeze these national anthem singers are getting worse every time'. A third commented: 'I just witnessed another trashing of a national anthem.' Other fans described it as 'horrible' and 'rough'. Referring to the high note Chenoweth hit, one brutal fan posted: 'The end of that anthem made my dog uncomfortable'. Chenoweth's Thunder fandom has been no secret since the franchise's early years, though she also has professed at times to liking the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks as well. That said, the Thunder are clearly her top choice - so much so that she once told the Tulsa World she spent three hours bedazzling a Thunder hat. She went to Oklahoma City University after growing up in Broken Arrow, about 115 miles northeast of where the Thunder play. And her 8-year-old dog's name is Thunder. She even dressed the pup up once in a Thunder outfit. 'I never miss a game unless I'm on stage,' Chenoweth said. 'I was a cheerleader in high school in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and I loved football, but my favorite was basketball. 'I like how much of a team player you've got to be and this is my team.' Chenoweth has sung the anthem at a few Thunder games in the past, sometimes alone and at least once with children from her Chenoweth Broadway Bootcamp. That camp is part of the arts and education fund that she founded to cultivate 'young artistic expression by enriching children´s lives through the power of education, entertainment and experience.' Chenoweth won a Tony Award in 1999 for best leading actress in a musical for her role in 'You´re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.' She received two other Tony nominations for best leading actress in a musical, one in 2004 for playing Glinda in 'Wicked' - she lost to co-star Idina Menzel - and the other in 2015 for playing 1930s Hollywood diva Lily Garland in 'On the Twentieth Century.' And in 2009, she won an Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on ABC's 'Pushing Daisies.' She returns to Broadway this fall, playing Jackie Siegel in 'The Queen of Versailles.'
North Wales Live
12-06-2025
- Science
- North Wales Live
Real-life X-Men here in five years, says man paying to make it happen
A millionaire businessman is ploughing thousands of pounds into research he claims could help build a new mutant AI-enhanced race - that he predicts will walk among us in five years. Herbert Sim has been funding work through his tech start-up exploring how AI technology can 'upgrade' humanity - potentially defeating disease and living longer than ever. The research, which was originally launched alongside Prof Dmitry Mikhaylov, former National University of Singapore professor, involves a helmet 'reading' brainwaves and projecting them onto a computer. This in turn 'reads' and converts it into actions, with Herbert claiming the research proves there's no need for invasive surgery to implant computer chips into human brains. The 38-year-old self-professed 'futurist' believes they will soon become a reality. Through this process, Herbert claims humans will be able to develop 'superpowers' through genetic and robotic modifications and help people live longer and battle disease. Herbert, whose company is based in London, said: "Transhumanism is about transcending humanity through technology and science. Humanity has now reached a point where we are at a crossroads and we're trying to accept technology into our lives to enhance our lifestyles. "Transhumanism can help to extend your life for 500 years and then it's amazing to think what we can achieve. People at the moment are saying it [mutants and animal-hybrids] are fantasy but there may be some truth to it. "There is a reason every culture across the world all draws the same pictures of dragons and mythological creatures. Because of these very dominant [new] races, they will be better than humans in every single way. The humans that are left over, they will not be able to contribute to society as effectively as these transhumans, and this is when humanity will then become obsolete." In the American superhero series X-Men, a mutant is a human being that possesses a genetic trait called the X-gene that develop into superhuman powers at puberty. Herbert claims the creation of animal-human hybrids or 'mutants' has already begun in Japan and are currently undergoing testing after the government approved controversial stem cell research in 2019. Herbert, who made his fortune from bitcoin but also owns said: "I think human hybrids will be coming into our world in the next five years. "In Japan they have already started animal-human hybrids and the government has approved these and they are already testing. "All of this technology is here to help humans transcend and live longer. These are possible superpowers that humans can have through the use of genetic technology." Alongside X-Men, Herbert says other Hollywood movies like Terminator and Bionic Woman show how transhumanism could develop. Herbert, who studied at Oklahoma City University in the US and the University of Wolverhampton in the UK, said: "All the Hollywood movies like Terminator and The Bionic Woman all stem from transhumanism and the world is moving towards transcending humanity. "Technology is scary because whatever we as humans don't understand we think is magic. If you go back in time before mobile phones and explained the concept of them they would have thought it was crazy and magic. "But we're the same way right now, this futuristic technology like robots is still very farfetched in people's minds as they don't think it's possible but the technology is already there. Now it is all about educating the public so we can live alongside this technology. "At the moment, lots of people have only seen this technology in films and see it as a downfall but I believe it's our redemption. The way I see it is that technology and science are here to empower humans the same way medicines and phones are here to make our lives better."
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
'I'm funding research that will make the X-Men real in five years'
Millionaire Herbert Sim is funding AI and medical research that will give humans 'mutant' superpowers A millionaire businessman is ploughing thousands of pounds into research he claims could help build a new mutant AI-enhanced race - that he predicts will walk among us in five years. Herbert Sim has been funding work through his tech start-up exploring how AI technology can 'upgrade' humanity - potentially defeating disease and living longer than ever. The research, which was originally launched alongside Prof Dmitry Mikhaylov, former National University of Singapore professor, involves a helmet 'reading' brainwaves and projecting them onto a computer. This in turn 'reads' and converts it into actions, with Herbert claiming the research proves there's no need for invasive surgery to implant computer chips into human brains. The 38-year-old self-professed 'futurist' believes they will soon become a reality. Through this process, Herbert claims humans will be able to develop 'superpowers' through genetic and robotic modifications and help people live longer and battle disease. Herbert, whose company is based in London, said: "Transhumanism is about transcending humanity through technology and science. Humanity has now reached a point where we are at a crossroads and we're trying to accept technology into our lives to enhance our lifestyles. "Transhumanism can help to extend your life for 500 years and then it's amazing to think what we can achieve. People at the moment are saying it [mutants and animal-hybrids] are fantasy but there may be some truth to it. "There is a reason every culture across the world all draws the same pictures of dragons and mythological creatures. Because of these very dominant [new] races, they will be better than humans in every single way. The humans that are left over, they will not be able to contribute to society as effectively as these transhumans, and this is when humanity will then become obsolete." In the American superhero series X-Men, a mutant is a human being that possesses a genetic trait called the X-gene that develop into superhuman powers at puberty. Herbert claims the creation of animal-human hybrids or 'mutants' has already begun in Japan and are currently undergoing testing after the government approved controversial stem cell research in 2019. Herbert, who made his fortune from bitcoin but also owns said: "I think human hybrids will be coming into our world in the next five years. "In Japan they have already started animal-human hybrids and the government has approved these and they are already testing. "All of this technology is here to help humans transcend and live longer. These are possible superpowers that humans can have through the use of genetic technology." Alongside X-Men, Herbert says other Hollywood movies like Terminator and Bionic Woman show how transhumanism could develop. Herbert, who studied at Oklahoma City University in the US and the University of Wolverhampton in the UK, said: "All the Hollywood movies like Terminator and The Bionic Woman all stem from transhumanism and the world is moving towards transcending humanity. "Technology is scary because whatever we as humans don't understand we think is magic. If you go back in time before mobile phones and explained the concept of them they would have thought it was crazy and magic. "But we're the same way right now, this futuristic technology like robots is still very farfetched in people's minds as they don't think it's possible but the technology is already there. Now it is all about educating the public so we can live alongside this technology. "At the moment, lots of people have only seen this technology in films and see it as a downfall but I believe it's our redemption. The way I see it is that technology and science are here to empower humans the same way medicines and phones are here to make our lives better."
Wales Online
12-06-2025
- Science
- Wales Online
Real-life X-Men here in five years, says man paying to make it happen
A millionaire businessman is ploughing thousands of pounds into research he claims could help build a new mutant AI-enhanced race - that he predicts will walk among us in five years. Herbert Sim has been funding work through his tech start-up exploring how AI technology can 'upgrade' humanity - potentially defeating disease and living longer than ever. The research, which was originally launched alongside Prof Dmitry Mikhaylov, former National University of Singapore professor, involves a helmet 'reading' brainwaves and projecting them onto a computer. This in turn 'reads' and converts it into actions, with Herbert claiming the research proves there's no need for invasive surgery to implant computer chips into human brains. The 38-year-old self-professed 'futurist' believes they will soon become a reality. Through this process, Herbert claims humans will be able to develop 'superpowers' through genetic and robotic modifications and help people live longer and battle disease. Herbert, whose company is based in London, said: "Transhumanism is about transcending humanity through technology and science. Humanity has now reached a point where we are at a crossroads and we're trying to accept technology into our lives to enhance our lifestyles. "Transhumanism can help to extend your life for 500 years and then it's amazing to think what we can achieve. People at the moment are saying it [mutants and animal-hybrids] are fantasy but there may be some truth to it. "There is a reason every culture across the world all draws the same pictures of dragons and mythological creatures. Because of these very dominant [new] races, they will be better than humans in every single way. The humans that are left over, they will not be able to contribute to society as effectively as these transhumans, and this is when humanity will then become obsolete." In the American superhero series X-Men, a mutant is a human being that possesses a genetic trait called the X-gene that develop into superhuman powers at puberty. Herbert claims the creation of animal-human hybrids or 'mutants' has already begun in Japan and are currently undergoing testing after the government approved controversial stem cell research in 2019. Herbert, who made his fortune from bitcoin but also owns said: "I think human hybrids will be coming into our world in the next five years. "In Japan they have already started animal-human hybrids and the government has approved these and they are already testing. "All of this technology is here to help humans transcend and live longer. These are possible superpowers that humans can have through the use of genetic technology." Alongside X-Men, Herbert says other Hollywood movies like Terminator and Bionic Woman show how transhumanism could develop. Herbert, who studied at Oklahoma City University in the US and the University of Wolverhampton in the UK, said: "All the Hollywood movies like Terminator and The Bionic Woman all stem from transhumanism and the world is moving towards transcending humanity. "Technology is scary because whatever we as humans don't understand we think is magic. If you go back in time before mobile phones and explained the concept of them they would have thought it was crazy and magic. "But we're the same way right now, this futuristic technology like robots is still very farfetched in people's minds as they don't think it's possible but the technology is already there. Now it is all about educating the public so we can live alongside this technology. "At the moment, lots of people have only seen this technology in films and see it as a downfall but I believe it's our redemption. The way I see it is that technology and science are here to empower humans the same way medicines and phones are here to make our lives better."
Pink Villa
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Who is Lakshmi Manchu? All about The Traitors contestant who comes from rich film family, is married and has daughter via surrogacy
The Traitors, led by filmmaker Karan Johar, is about to hit screens. This reality show will unveil the unfiltered faces of the celebrity contestants, promising to unveil celebrities as they engage in a thrilling hunt to identify the Traitor among them. Among all the celeb contestants is the talented actor and producer Lakshmi Manchu. With a contribution to the entertainment industry that began at the tender age of 4, she has carved out a remarkable niche for herself within the Telugu cinema landscape. Who is Lakshmi Manchu? Born on October 8, 1977, in Chennai, Manchu Lakshmi Prasanna, popularly known as Lakshmi Manchu, is a celebrated actress in the Telugu film industry. She is the only daughter of renowned actor Mohan Babu and Vidya Devi. Lakshmi forayed into the world of entertainment with a show named Las Vegas, where she had the unique opportunity to collaborate with the Oscar-winning actor James Caan, playing the memorable character of Sarasvati Kumar. In December 2011, she made her foray into Tamil cinema, starring in Mani Ratnam's film Kadal as Celina. Beyond acting, Lakshmi took on the role of director in 2020 with her short film Perfect Lives, showcasing her versatility and creative vision. Lakshmi holds a Bachelor's degree in theatre from the prestigious Oklahoma City University. Throughout the years, she has acted in numerous films and produced a variety of successful projects, garnering multiple accolades. Lakshmi has also made her mark as a host on popular shows such as Feet Up with Stars and Chef Mantra. Apart from her professional endeavors, Lakshmi is involved in various social causes In 2006, she married Andy Srinivasan, an IT professional from Chennai. Together, they have a beautiful daughter born through surrogacy and currently reside in Mumbai. As Lakshmi Manchu gears up to compete in The Traitors, she is set to join an impressive lineup of celebrity co-contestants. The Traitors contestants are: Karan Kundrra, Anshula Kapoor, Ashish Vidyarthi, Elnaaz Norouzi, Harsh Gujral, Jannat Zubair, Janvee Gaurr, Apoorva Mukhija aka The Rebel Kid, Jasmine Bhasin, Lakshmi Manchu, Maheep Kapoor, Mukesh Chhabra, Nikita Luther, Purav Jha, Raftaar, Uorfi Javed, Raj Kundra, Sahil Salathia, Sudhanshu Pandey and Sufi Motiwala. The Traitors will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on June 12, with new episodes airing every Thursday at 8 PM.
